1. A mother had two daughters. She loved them very much, but two girls would fight with each other from their earliest years. As they grew older, they became total strangers. They had no contact with each other when they were adults.
This caused the mother great pain. Then, later, she had an idea. She decided to write a letter to them. In this letter, she told them how much she loved them, and how she wanted them to love each other in this way. She also gave them news of herself and some guidance on how to live happier lives.
When the letter was ready, she wrote out one copy for each daughter, but these copies were special. Each copy contained only every second sentence of the original letter: the copy for one daughter had only the even (双数的) sentences, and the other daughter’s copy contained only the odd sentences. Neither contained the fullness of the mother’s message.
When the two daughters received their letters, they were puzzled. To understand the half-letter, they would have to put the two letters together and read them as one, which meant they must approach one another again in love and respect. But they each blamed the other for not helping them when trying to read the half-letter.
For a long time, the mother waited in vain. Then one day, when the mother had almost given up hope, there was a knock at the door. There they stood, together. “We’ve come home,” they said at the same time. “We’ve finally put our letters together, and we’ve come to say how much we love you, Mum.” Then she hugged them both, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks, and welcomed them back home.
【小题1】The mother gave her daughters incomplete letters mainly to ______.
| A．mend their relations |
| B．offer them advice |
| C．tell them her news |
| D．win their hearts |
【小题2】Upon receiving their letters, the two daughters ______.
| A．put the letters together and read them |
| B．blamed her mother for the half-letter |
| C．complained about each other as usual |
| D．understood the mother’s purpose at once |
【小题3】Why did the two daughters visit their mother at last?
| A．They wanted to apologize. |
| B．They felt grateful for the mother. |
| C．They had put the letters together. |
| D．They missed home very much. |
【小题4】What is the best title for the passage?
| A．A Sincere Apology to Mother |
| B．A Mother’s Endless Love |
| C．Two Special Daughters |
| D．An Unusual Letter |